Is a garden wedding a civil wedding?

In England and Wales, a civil wedding must take place at a register office or an approved venue. Since 2022, approved venues can hold civil ceremonies outdoors within their grounds, so if your garden is part of such a venue, a registrar can conduct the legal ceremony there. But a private garden at home is not an approved venue, so a ceremony there would not be legally binding. You would need to have a separate civil ceremony elsewhere, usually at a register office or an approved venue, to make your marriage legal. The garden ceremony could then be a blessing or a symbolic celebration, with whatever content you choose. Civil ceremonies cannot include religious content such as hymns, prayers or religious readings, but poems, songs and non-religious readings are fine if the registrar agrees. If you want a religious garden ceremony, that is possible as a blessing, but it will not be legal on its own. Always confirm with the venue and the registrar what is allowed in the outdoor space, because some approved venues have specific areas or conditions for outdoor ceremonies.